Rice talks tough, pushes Pak to act

ET Bureau|

Dec 05, 2008, 01.19 AM IST

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NEW DELHI: The US continued efforts to prevent India from exercising the military option against Pakistan, with secretary of state Condoleezza Rice asking Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari to co-operate with India in the Mumbai terror probe.

The underlying message of Ms Rice���s visit to India and then Pakistan was that the US, which has sent two top officials to India and Pakistan to convey the message of restraint, wants the neighbours to resolve the current crisis through talks and co-operation and not through military means. Sources said that India is still stock-taking and is satisfied with the strong support of solidarity from the US and other countries.

With evidence mounting on the Pakistani link, the US continued to push Pakistan to co-operate with India to prevent escalation of hostilities. ���We talked at length about the importance of Pakistan taking responsibility to deal with those who may use its territory even if they are non-state actors,��� Ms Rice was quoted as saying. ���Pakistan needs to investigate the circumstances under which these attacks took place in Mumbai,��� Ms Rice said, and added that Islamabad���s response has to be ���robust������ and ���effective.������

It was clear that the US also does not want to alienate the Zardari government and jeopardise the ongoing war against terror in Afghanistan. A military strike by India would complicate matters for the US, which is already facing an uphill task in keeping Taliban and al-Qaeda elements under check in Afghanistan.

The double-pronged US strategy was apparent as Ms Rice expressed satisfaction with the Pakistan government���s response. ``The Pakistani government, I was told and I fully believe, is very committed to this war on terror, does not in any way want to be associated with terrorist elements and is indeed fighting to root them out, wherever they find them,������ she said a day after talking tough to Islamabad. ���I have found a Pakistani government that is focused on the threat and understands its responsibilities to respond to terrorism and extremism,��� wherever it is found. After talks with Ms Rice, Mr Zardari reiterated Islamabad���s commitment to co-operate with the investigation and vowed ���strong action��� against any militants found to be involved.

But as far as India is concerned there has been no progress.

Pakistan has not formally responded to the demarche even though Mr Zardari has already snubbed India through the US media by saying that his government will not handover fugitives on India���s most-wanted list. And Indian officials remain sceptical about Mr Zardari ���s offer to follow leads in the Mumbai attacks. Sources said that at this stage India would continue to keep up the diplomatic pressure and study available options.